Abelia plant named ‘SMNAMDS’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Abelia  plant named ‘SMNAMDS’, characterized by its uniformly upright and rounded plant habit; freely branching habit; dense and bushy growth habit; freely and continuous flowering habit; dark reddish pink-colored flower buds; strongly fragrant flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Abelia mosanensis.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SMNAMDS’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Abeliaplant, botanically known as Abelia mosanensis and hereinafter referredto by the name ‘SMNAMDS’.

The new Abelia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventor in Grand Haven, Mich. The objective of the breeding programwas to develop new compact and freely flowering Abelia plants withattractive flower coloration.

The new Abelia plant originated from an open-pollination in May, 2008 ofan unnamed proprietary seedling selection of Abelia mosanensis, notpatented, as the female, or seed parent with an unknown selection ofAbelia mosanensis. The new Abelia plant was discovered and selected bythe Inventor in May, 2012 as a single flowering plant within the progenyof the stated open-pollination in a controlled environment in GrandHaven, Mich.

Asexual reproduction of the new Abelia plant by softwood cuttings in acontrolled greenhouse environment in Grand Haven, Mich. since May, 2012has shown that the unique features of this new Abelia plant are stableand reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexualreproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Abelia have not been observed under all possiblecombinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. Thephenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditionssuch as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variancein genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘SMNAMDS’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘SMNAMDS’ as a new and distinct Abelia plant:

-   -   1. Uniformly upright and rounded plant habit.    -   2. Freely branching habit; dense and bushy growth habit.    -   3. Freely and continuous flowering habit.    -   4. Dark reddish pink-colored flower buds.    -   5. Strongly fragrant flowers; fragrance is pleasant.    -   6. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Abelia can be compared to plants of the female parentselection. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Abelia differprimarily from plants of the female parent selection in the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Abelia are more uniform than plants of the        female parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Abelia have darker-colored flower buds than        plants of the female parent selection.    -   3. Flowers of plants of the new Abelia are more fragrant than        flowers of plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Abelia can be compared to plants of other unnamedselections of Abelia mosanensis known to the Inventor, not patented. Inside-by-side comparisons plants of the new Abelia differed from plantsof other unnamed selections of Abelia mosanensis known to the Inventorin the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Abelia were more uniform than plants of        other unnamed selections of Abelia mosanensis known to the        Inventor.    -   2. Plants of the new Abelia had darker-colored flower buds than        plants of other unnamed selections of Abelia mosanensis known to        the Inventor.    -   3. Flowers of plants of the new Abelia were more fragrant than        flowers of plants of other unnamed selections of Abelia        mosanensis known to the Inventor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new Abelia plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Abelia plant.

The photograph is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of‘SMNAMDS’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurementsand values describe plants grown during the late spring in one-galloncontainers in a polypropylene-covered shadehouse in Grand Haven, Mich.and under cultural practices typical of commercial Abelia production.During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 18° C.to 27° C. and night temperatures ranged from 5° C. to 10° C. Plants weretwo years old when the photograph and the description were taken. In thedescription, color references are made to The Royal HorticulturalSociety Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Abelia mosanensis ‘SMNAMDS’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed proprietary seedling            selection of Abelia mosanensis, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Abelia            mosanensis, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By softwood cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 18 days at            temperatures about 27° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 40 days            at temperatures about 27° C.        -   Root description.—Medium in thickness; creamy white to brown            in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Moderate to freely branching; medium density.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Perennial shrub; uniformly            upright and rounded plant habit; vigorous growth habit.        -   Branching habit.—Freely branching habit, dense and bushy            growth habit with about 15 lateral branches developing per            plant; pinching enhances lateral branch development.        -   Plant height.—About 30 cm.        -   Plant diameter (area of spread).—About 45 cm.-   Lateral branch description:    -   -   Length.—About 25 cm.        -   Diameter.—About 3 mm.        -   Internode length.—About 3 cm to 4.5 cm.        -   Aspect.—Upright to outwardly.        -   Texture, developing.—Slightly pubescent.        -   Texture, fully developed.—Woody.        -   Color, developing.—Upper surface, close to 178B; lower            surface, close to 144B.        -   Color, fully developed.—Close to 197B.-   Leaf description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.        -   Length.—About 6.5 cm to 7.3 cm.        -   Width.—About 2.3 cm.        -   Shape.—Lanceolate.        -   Apex.—Acuminate.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.        -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 141B.            Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 143C. Fully            expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 141A; venation,            close to 141A. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close            to 138B; venation, close to 138B.        -   Petioles.—Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper            surface: Close to 141A. Color, lower surface: Close to 138B.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower appearance and arrangement.—Single funnelform flowers            arranged on terminal panicles; freely flowering habit with            about six flowers per inflorescence and about 35 to 40            flowers developing per plant; flower face upright to            outwardly.        -   Inflorescence height.—About 2.8 cm.        -   Inflorescence width.—About 5 cm.        -   Fragrance.—Strongly fragrant, pleasant.        -   Natural flowering season.—Plants begin flowering in early            spring in Michigan; flowers not persistent.        -   Flower diameter.—About 1.5 cm.        -   Flower depth.—About 1.7 cm.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.9 cm. Diameter: Towards the            apex, about 5 mm; towards the base, about 1 mm. Shape:            Lanceolate to spatulate. Color: Towards the apex, close to            57A; towards the base, close to 1C.        -   Petals.—Quantity and arrangement: Five fused petals arranged            in a single whorl; petals slightly recurved. Lobe length:            About 7 mm. Lobe width: About 5 mm. Shape: Elliptic to            obovate. Apex: Obtuse; slightly recurved. Base: Obtuse,            fused. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:            Smooth, glabrous; thick and fleshy. Color: When opening,            upper surface: Close to 155D; towards the apex, close to            65D. When opening, lower surface: Close to 155D; towards the            apex, close to 62B. Fully opened, upper surface: Close to            155D. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 155D; towards            the apex, close to 63C.        -   Sepals.—Quantity and arrangement: Five fused sepals arranged            in a single whorl. Length: About 9 mm. Width: About 3 mm.            Shape: Lanceolate to oblanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base:            Cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:            Smooth, glabrous; along the margins, pubescent. Color, upper            surface: Close to 182A. Color, lower surface: Close to 146D.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 5 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm.            Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Angle: Upright to            outwardly. Color: Close to 144B.        -   Pedicels.—Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm.            Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Angle: Upright to            outwardly. Color: Close to 144B.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Five.            Filament length: About 1 mm. Filament color: Close to 155D.            Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther shape: Oblong. Anther            color: Close to 155C. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color:            Close to 155C. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil            length: About 1.5 cm. Stigma shape: Globular. Stigma color:            Close to 134A. Style length: About 1.5 cm. Style color:            Close to 155C. Ovary color: Close to 144B.        -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit production have not been            observed on plants of the new Abelia.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Abelia have been observed to    have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind and    temperatures ranging from about −27 C to about 35 C.-   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Abelia have not been    shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Abelia    plants.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Abelia plant named ‘SMNAMDS’ asillustrated and described.